Airship.



5a posed of cables 1, by. which it is secured to ii ED STATES FATE union.

WILLIAM D. FRENCH, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 FRANK HARDING, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914:

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM D. FnnNo -r, a resident of San Diego, in the county of San Diego and the State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships, and the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, so that those versed in the art to which it ap ertains can make and use the same.

ly invention relates to air-ships-which are raised and are supported in the air by means of flappin wings in connection with a gas bag, and t e principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide an air-sh p which is safe, second, to provide an air-ship with wings which are pivotally mounted and adapted to flap up and down, and have a plurality of valves to facilitate the rising and lowering of same, third, to provide a mechanism for easil shiftin the machine laterally and up and down, fourth, to provide an air-ship in.which the load is hung some distance-below the sustaining portions, thus lessening its liability to'turn over.

With these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the 21.600111: panying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan new of my machine complete, showing slight portions broken away, Fig. 2, is a side elevational view thereof, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view along the line A-B of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of awing showing the valve thereon, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of F 1g. 4.

Simllar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings numeral -1 represents the gas bag, 2 the boat, 3 the wings, 4 the rudders, 5 the engine, 6 the controllin lever for operating the normally horizontal plane, 7 is the controlling lever for operating the rudders and 8 is the propeller.

The gas bag 1 is made of material adapted for and filled with hydro en gas and is preferably cigar shaped as s own best in Figs. 2 and 3, and it is provided with a net com the uprights 2. The boat 2 is canoe shaped as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3 and is pro vided on each side with a plurality of supports 2 which are supported by the shafts 3. Upon the shafts 3 are rigidly mounted the wings 3, which are for the purpose of assisting in raising the machine and each is provided with a plurality of valves 3 These valves 3" consist of a hole of suitable size through the wing and over this hole on the lower surface is placed a cover connected to the wing at one side only, thus providing a flap valve as shown best in Figs. 4: and Upon the shafts 3 are rigidly secured at one of their ends arms 3 which are at their other ends pivoted to the connecting rods 3 which are connected to the cranks 3 so that when the crank 3 rotates with the revolution of the engine the connecting rods 3 are thrust upward and downward thus causing the Wings to swing with the partial revolution of the shafts 3. The uprights 2 are provided at their upper ends with bearings 2 in which the shafts 3 partially rotate and they are at their lower ends fastened rigidly to said boat. The boat is provided on each end with a rudder 4 which consists of one normally horizontal plane 4 and one normally vertical plane 4" which are at one end fastened rigidly to the arms 4. The other ends of the arms are pivotally mounted on the staffs 4 by the clamps 4. The staffs 4* are provided with collars 4 and 4- which keep the bearings 4* and 4 in their positions.

The staffs 4 are pivoted at their upper ends in the brackets 4 which are secured rigidly to the boat 2 and at their lowerends said staffs are pivoted in the collars 4* which are also secured rigidly to the boat 2. At the lower ends of the staffs 4 a sprocket 4 is rigidly secured around which a chain 4* passes. The chains 4" at each end of the boat are secured together by the cable 4: which is held to the side of the boat 2 by the idlers 2", the other ends of the chains 4" are secured together by a cable 4 which is passed around the idlcrs 2" and then fastened to the controlling lever 7 so that when the lever 7 is moved in one direction the sprocket 4 is revolved, thus turning the vertical planes 4* in one direction. and when the lever 7 is moved in the opposite direction the planes 4" move in the opposite direction. The shafts 4 are pivoted in the brackets -1 and 4: on one end of the shafts 4 sprockets val w lower end on the pin 7 4: are secured rigidly which cooperate with the chains 4: which are secured to the bearings 4 and 4. On their opposite ends sprockets a are rigidly secured around which the chains 4: are placed. These chains 4 are connected together at one of their ends by a cable 48 and the other ends of the chains are secured together by a cable 45 which is fastened to the controlling lever 6. The fulcrums 4- are pivotally mounted on the stands P which are securely fastened to each side of the boat 2 so that when the stafis 4 are raised by the controlling lever 6 the rudders 45 and r are forced downwardly by the fulcrums a and when the staffs are lowered they force the rudders upwardly.

5 is an engine.

The controlling lever 7 is pivoted at its llhe rack 7 is secured rigidly to the side of the boat 2, tangent to the controlling lever 7 and is provided at its upper side with a plurality of notches 7 The propeller 8 is connected directly to the engine 5 by the shaft 5 or a clutch may be used in connection therewith if desired.

Though I have shown and described a particular, detailed construction 1 do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, but desire to include in the purview of my invention the principles and construction substantially as set forthin the appended claims.

It is readily seen that with this construction there is provided an air-ship which has a dirigible balloon or gas bag and flapping wings for rising in the air, that the wings are provided with valves that open when ascending by reason of the atmospheric pressure and close when the wings descend thus allowingthe ready passage of air when the wings ascend, that the rudders are operated simultaneously by of the chains, cables and sprocket device, that the boat as a whole is easily controlled and operated, that the propeller provides means for thrusting the boat forward and backward as desired, that the boat provides a means for landing and sailing upon the water when desired or necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and. desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An air-ship comprising cigar-shaped gas bag, a boat suspended the longitudinally therewith by means of and vertical supports, oppositely dispow i -Jotally mounted wings in bearings on the upper end of said supports, each provided with a plurality of flap valves adapted to allow free passage of air through said wings when they rise and to close them when they lower, normally vertical and horizontal planes shiftably mounted on the front and rear ends of rus es said boat, sprocket, chain and cable means for shifting said planes laterally, sprocket, chain and cable means for shifting said planes up and down, a propeller mounted on said boat for driving said boat forward or backward, and an engine with its shaft connected to both said propeller and said wings for operating them.

2. An air-ship comprising a cigar-shaped gas bag, a boat suspended thereto longitudinally therewith by means of cables and vertical supports, oppositely disposed pivotally mounted longitudinal wings in bearings on theupper ends of said supports each provided with a plurality of flap valves therein, normally vertical and horizontal planes shiftably mounted on the front and rear ends of said boat, sprocket, chain, cable and lever means for shifting said planes laterally, sprocket, chain, cable and lever means for shifting said planes up and down, a propeller mounted near the lower surface of said boat adapted to drive said boat forward and backward, an engine mounted in said boat, and means connected with the shaft of said engine for both revolving said propeller and flapping said wings.

3. An air-ship comprising a cigar-shaped gas bag, a canoe-shaped boat suspended thereto some distance below said gas bag by means of vertical supports and cables, shafts pivotally mounted in hearings on the upper ends of said supports on each side of said boat, a wing rigidly mounted on said shafts and normally horizontal therefrom, each provided with a plurality of flap valves therein adapted to open and allow free passage of air through said wings when they rise and to close when they lower, normally vertical and horizontal planes shiftably mounted on the front and rear ends of said boat forming rudders and guide planes, sprocket, chain, cable and lever means for simultaneously shifting said planes laterally, sprocket, chain, cable and lever means for simultaneously shifting said planes up and down, a propeller revolubly mounted near the lower surface of said boat extending from the rear end thereof for driving said boat forward and backward, and an engine adapted to turn said propeller and flap said wings simultaneously.

4:. An air-ship comprising a cigar-shaped gas bag, a canoe-shaped boat suspended thereto longitudinally therewith by means of cables and vertical supports, shafts piv-.

otally mounted in hearings on the upper ends of said supports extending longitudinally with said gas bag and said boat on each side thereof, wings rigidly mounted on said shafts each provided with a plurality of valves adapted to open and allow free passage of air through said wings when they use and to close when they lower, arms secured to said shafts and extending to the said boat, a driven shaft for said engine connecting with said propeller, and cranksconnecting said driven shaft with the arms secured to said first mentioned shafts, whereby the propeller is revolved and the wings flapped simultaneously with the operation of the engine.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the'presence of two 20 subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM 1). FRENCH.

\Vitnesses:

ABRAM B. BOWMAN, Emma E. RODABAUGH. 

